


Beneath Bond And Blade

by Vixilancia



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Pain, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, kanders in chapter 1 ye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 10:21:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11872326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixilancia/pseuds/Vixilancia
Summary: The story of how Karl was made tranqil, with my characters thrown in, warning, sadness, pain





	Beneath Bond And Blade

Aidan had been thrown from circle to circle by his parents, highly regarded members of House Trevelyan of Ostwick. For some, being held in captivity for so long would be damaging, but for him? It was all he'd ever known. Mages were dangerous, they were glass cannons and they had to be kept under a watchful eye. Mana pumped through Aidan's veins more than his own blood, more than muscle more than matter. He could not be taught how to control his natural born skill, the Templars said it was too much of a risk.

****

After he was moved to Kinloch hold, the circle of ferelden, they assigned him to be harrowed. An unusual occurrence considering he was only a teenager and a child in the eyes of the templars. They revoked the rule of sending one mage into the fade at a time, due to his noble parents and noble family friends pulling a few strings. The chanters disagreed, until one of the templars started shouting about how it was unjust, how it wasn't what the order stood for. Nobody knew what was going to happen, Maybe all this harrowing mess was due to fear, maybe the Templars wished rid of him, maybe they were just scared. 

****

The circle chantry was his refuge, a safe haven. Andraste was his guide and whom he loved the most. He knelt at the feet of one of her statues and started to pray, knowing the chant of light by heart. He did not know much of his mother, a Knight Captain couldn't visit a mage. Unprofessional they told them, no matter where she was stationed. He remembered so little of her, sometimes he could see her soft, short blonde hair, or even her muscular shoulders. He never fought his lifelong imprisonment, it was Andraste's way, she is right, he thought as he continued to pray.  _ They can take me away if they need to, I can't disappoint her, i am a mage. Magic was made to serve man, and serve I shall. _

Two mages approached the praying boy, and he turned to regard them with an inquisitive look. One of them had vaguely normal and spiky brown hair paired with a short, scruffy, slightly graying beard. Aidan noticed the short scar on his cheekbone,  _ Where did he get that scar? _ He questioned himself, knowing he would not get an answer. He was dressed strangely, not an apprentice yet not quite an enchanter.  

Finding nothing else to pry at he quickly began to study the other mage. He was towering, even while slightly slouching. A face full of freckles. A long nose. The most striking about him though, was sun blonde hair that blanketed his shoulders and carried on almost halfway down his chest.  _ He looks like the sun,  _ Aidan thought, _ he even looks like Andraste.  _

****

The tallest mage dropped on one knee to look Aidan in the eye. He was searching for something in the boy's eyes, fear, doubt? He didn't know. Aidan stared back, the blonde man's eyes were a light brown with flecks of amber and gold,  _ Is he even real? _ The bearded mage put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. 

"He spoke with a smooth Free Marcher's voice, you'll scare the poor boy."

"I don't know Karl, the other spoke in his ever-worried tone, What if he isn't ready?"

The young man spoke finally, with a slightly timid voice, "Do not talk about me as if I am not here." The amber eyes became more fixated, searching for even a scrap of information. Karl was right, the boy was scared.

****

Aidan's eyes darted from the mage's hands to his face and started to shudder. His intense glaring gaze caught Anders', Aidan's face contorting into one of rage. Suddenly ripples of lyrium hit Anders like the Amaranthine waves. The tall mage went from imposing to scrambling backward, acting like a cat who heard a loud noise. He could feel lyrium radiating from this child's skin. Raw undiluted power. Mesmerized, the scrambled mage sat upright and began to sway ever so slightly, like a puppet ready to perform. Doing all he could Karl grabbed his long thin hands, squeezing him to break out of his trance like state, "Anders my love", he said stroking his cheek, â€œI am right here, come back to me." Anders stared up at him, almost like a lost child. Karl continued to hold his hands. 

After small introductions Anders and Karl prepared to be sent into the fade, laying side by side, hand in hand. It was just like falling asleep. What could go wrong? It was not easy for Aidan, the lyrium tasted bad. Real bad. Lyrium had been described by mages as feeling like the first drink of cold water on a hot tevinter day. Apart from to him it tasted like copper. Metal. Blood. He choked the lyrium down, trying desperately not to vomit. He laid back and let himself fall into a dream walking state.

****

The fade was a strange place,a home of darkness and nightmare, twisting spires and remnants of old. Aidan was very well studied in such matters being the only wielder of the arcane arts in his family. Aidan never accidentally set someone's hair on fire, or a field, or an entire house like so many had before. He stared up at that green-tinted sky again. He even thought he could make out the black city from where he stood, the bloody corrupted heart of the fade that no longer beat. The chilling reminder of this broken state of heaven. Andrastian from birth, he could not help but stare in horrified awe. 

****

The couple was already there, still hand in hand. Aidan observed his new form, He looked somewhat transparent, like a spirit, or a wraith.  _ What the fuck happened to the kid _ , Karl thought, deciding it was better kept to himself.

"Okay, so demon hunting then or? Is this trial different?" he asked, obviously trying to keep up a cheery act. "Been more puzzles apparently, different to what happened back in my day."

"Karl, you're making it sound like you're 50", Anders snickered. 

"Loving you makes me feel 50, you stupid Embrium," Karl laughed side arming Anders into a slightly awkward embrace. Anders made a few more politely nasty comments before asking Karl to put his hair in its ties, well you wouldn't really say asking, "Karl, if you don't do this now and some big demon comes and singes these gorgeous locks off I am going to shave that damned beard." Karl did as asked, his beard was beautiful and precious, and was years in the making. 

****

Aidan began to feel burning, heat just under the surface of his newly ethereal skin. Lyrium was everywhere, spiking from the ground in twisted black and blue spirals. Karl put cautious hands on his shoulders, "So kid, where are we off." Aidan smiled a little at the reassurance, Karl seemed like he'd done this before. He pointed forward, slightly bouncing on his heels before running on ahead without them. "Anxious little kid isn't he," Karl said to Anders as he watched the boy run, "Reminds me of someone I know"

Anders looked at Aidan, some part of him longing to be a child again, "Karl my love, nothing about me seems little." He did a ridiculous salute and ran after Aidan. Of course, Karl thought, always using sex to mask the emotion. He watched anders run, until he felt those waves of lyrium again, it was probably time he started running.

****

The lyrium came from a spell this time, no fear included. Aidan knocked back about half a dozen shades with just one push of a hand.  _ Kids good,  _ Karl thought. He was right, the Aidan was a natural, apart from the fact he had no sense of direction, no aim.  _ If he carries on like this, he's going to get someone hurt, unintentionally.  _ Karl moved towards them, not at such a brisk pace as anders took earlier. This was a good opportunity for him to observe Anders on the battlefield, the only side of him he never saw. As Karl expected, he was even more of a vision, slightly tanned freckled skin slick with a thin layer of sweat and glowing blue with mana, his increasingly long hair coming out of its tidy band. 

****

They were taking care of the shades with pure ease, but Karl couldn't keep watch for all. A Rage Demon reached with its fiery talons to rake across Â Aidan's chest, only to find its claws passing right through him, then swiftly being batted with an elbow to what could only be described as its head. Followed by a swift kick. Karl was about ready to lose his mind,  _ if this kid does one more strange ass thing i swear I'm going to- _ his thought was cut off by a strange sound, a sort of squelch, similar to stepping on wet farmland, followed by primeval screeching. To everyone's complete bewilderment, the child had both of his hands inside the inflamed being. Aidan grunted loudly with sheer effort, then with an outward push of his hands, ripped the Demon in half. Karl closed his eyes and sighed deeply, while Anders had a much more rational response. _ "The fuck!" _ , he shouted in pure disbelief so loudly the templars could probably hear him from across the veil.

"You know what", Aidan said through nervous laughter, "I have no idea what that was. Let's just, move on." 

Karl was rubbing the back of his head so fast the friction would surely burn his hair off. They continued walking, Anders stopping to regroup the strands of his hair. Aidan felt lyrium burn all over his body, he wanted to scream, but the scorching had already taken his throat. He lost himself, his head smashed against the hard floor of the fade. 

****

Anders had hair everywhere, looking much like a mabari who needed a trim. Once all those golden strands were secured he picked up a brisk pace to catch up, he was waking for a whole of thirty seconds before tripping over a body. "Aidan," he shouted trying to shake the boy up. His hands were just right through him. He looked around,  _ Karl wouldn't have just left him here. _ His mind was racing, he couldn't think. If the templars took Karl he would have fucking nothing, and he wouldn't just abandon a child. Then he realised, Karl didn't leave Aidan, Aidan left Karl. 

****

Aidan sprang upwards, blood matted in his short blonde hair. His eyes darted round wildly, he was out of the fade, in the harrowing chamber. He could see Anders' expressionless face, he thought he felt his heart stop for a second, until he saw the others begin to beat. Karl was nowhere in sight, he didn't even think the two mages could be separated until now. He looked down at his hands, crystal white, and he swore he could see the floor right through them. He shrugged it off, heâ€™d probably just read about this and forgotten. He had to get back into the fade. 

****

_ "Aodhán" _ called a voice he'd never heard before, _ "The blood of the arcane runs in your veins, use it." _

"Who are you", he shouted, frantically spinning trying to find this voice. 

_ "You will find in time, you'll need more time, you will not get to him in time, and in time I will find you."  _

He didn"t know what all that meant, and he did not have any time to think about it. He let his fingers dance into the deepest parts of his memory. Sure enough, the colors in Aidan's hands sprang back into view and relief washed over him. Curious, he focused all the mana he had into his left hand, and held it tight to his chest.  _ This is a stupid idea, my hand is going to explode.  _ He could feel the veil getting thinner, himself turning into its fabric and design. He shut his eyes, hoping to the maker he didn't kill everyone in that tower.

****

When his eyes snapped open he was exactly where he was left, bleeding heavily on the floor of the fade. He pushed himself up, translucent hands providing surprising leverage. He looked over to his side and saw Anders, looking as frantic as he was just minutes earlier. "Anders", Aidan shouted to no avail, it was like talking to a stone wall. Following that part of his mind again, he suddenly knew what do. He walked over to Anders, standing on the balls of his feet to reach his cheek. As soon as Aidan's hand connected with the towering mage's face, he started to sway again, not quite calmed, but certainly made complacent. He laid anders down to the ground, chest against the bloodied floor. Aidan placed one hand on the back of Anders' long neck, brushing his long blonde hair out the way, and the other onto the ground. Part of him thought this was the dumbest idea ever, but he couldn't think of anything else. He thrust every ounce of lyrium into his hands, waves smashing once more into the ground.

****

Anders jolted upright, rubbing the back of his neck. He could certainly say this was the strangest day of his life. The child that he was supposed to protect, lying pale and bloody on the floor. His eyes glowed, his body glowing with the aura of Panacea, and he crawled over to the boys side. Looks of concern and shame furrowed his brows, what other damage had his neglect caused? Aidan's skin mended under the hands of the healer, skin weaving anew. It wasn't enough, this forehead was scarred, like a permanent reminder of what went wrong here. Aidan coughed and spoke strangely clear through the pain, "Find Karl, you have to save him, run for it mage:. He felt no guilt this time, just an overwhelming need to do as he was told. He didn't just run, he fully sprinted. He didn't even know where he was going, too terrified to care. 

****

He saw the templars dragging Karl and before he had time to react, somebody else did. Spirit magic, Entropy, and there was a hell of a lot of it too. The templars fell to sleep, horror, a waking nightmare. Anders couldn't see who the hell was doing this, and luckily the templars couldn't either. All he could use to identify them was flowing, medium length black hair, a bulky figure darting behind statues. He heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by the sound of a body smashing against the floor. 

"I am sorry Anders," a younger looking man said through unkempt brown hair. Amber eyes clashed with deep brown ones, both with a shared look of desperation. The young man, well Anders would even go as far as calling him a child, spoke again, "They'll kill all four of us, I have to protect my friend", Anders nodded, he would've done exactly the same in the apprentices place, and he watched the black haired mage be dragged away. It was strange how the mage would never know that this was the greatest gift Anders had ever been given. Even if it was just a scrap of time.

****

Anders couldn't stand the separation for much longer. He ran to Karl's unconscious body, shaking as sobs racked through his chest. He grit his teeth, trying his hardest not to scream out into tears, and he almost succeeded. "Karl, we have to get out of here! Come on! Get up!," it was pointless, Karl was out cold, but Anders would never stop trying to get through, he placed his lips onto Karl's, knowing he had to savor the moment, knowing that this would change everything, forever. He pulled away from the kiss, face wet with tears. "Karl my love", he sobbed, clutching his partner's cheek, "I am right here, come back to me." He buried his face in Karl's chest, the robes becoming tear stained. He just needed one last moment, and even the templars couldn't take it from him.

****

If hours had passed, it still wouldn't have been enough time. He cast his thoughts back to that child, his physical wounds were healed, but he worried for his mind. He could a templar coming a mile away, heavy plate armor isn't the stealthiest, but he couldn't bring himself to let go of Karl. He still wasn't moving and Anders didn't have to struggle to find out why. Poison, they poisoned his lyrium, of course they did. The first Templar tried to pry Anders away from Karl, and if Anders held on any tighter he was going to break ribs. The templar behind hip ragged back on his hair, making head thrust back in pure agony, giving space for another templars gauntlet smash into his jaw. He was flung backwards into an Andrastian statue, breaking her fiery brasier. His head swarmed, jaw pounding, bones broken. He raised his head, just in time to see Karl being dragged away, Anders didn't think, he didn't need to think. He just needed to save karl. He charged at the closest Templar, not even feeling the pain anymore. He punched the tempar in the face so hard he could hear bones break, freezing another with a grasp of winter. There were so many, too many. Karl was gone.  _ Maker preserve me, i am going to save him, if it's the last thing i do.  _ He passed out cold.

****

Anders awoke locked in a dark room, with only a small crack in the wall to let in short beams of light. Even if his hands were not tied, he still wouldn't have been able to stretch out his arm. He couldn't see anything, his hands tied down with anti-magical chain. He could've been anywhere, he could be in a Tevinter ruin for all he knew. He thrashed, and screamed veiled in an overwhelming claustrophobic panic. Better men than him had turned to madness in the darkness. Better men than him would've turned to blood magic. Karl was the better man. Anders was alone, he was powerless, the back of his head still thumping. He started screaming again, he screamed for so long he couldn't even remember his own name. He'd have thought he was paralyzed, if his pain wasn't so abundant. His duty racked through his head like a mantra.  _ Save Karl. Save him. Save him like he saved me.  _ _ Â  _

****

Jowan stared out of the storm stained window _ ,  _ arm flat against it. He heard the screaming, hours of it. Nothing would drown it out, until it was reduced to mere sobs, then just  _ silence _ . His friend still hadn't awakened. If Jowan was rational, he would have waited. Jowan however, was the least rational person in the tower. He placed both his hands on his friends tattooed cheeks and countered his sleep spell. His friends mouth turned into a roguish half smile, and Jowan grinned with pure joy. He began to move his hands away from the smirking face, only to have them pulled closer down. Bright green eyes stared up at him, blissful, unaware, like heâ€™d forgotten where he was, and all he could see was Jowan. 

"You my friend, are a fucking idiot", Jowan sighed in a semi serious tone". 

The other mage laughed, "Did i black out again, i didn't do anything too outrageous did I"

"Amell, you attacked about 15 templars you dolt"

Amell let Jowan's hands fall from his face, green eyes clouding slightly, smirk falling into a concerned grimace, "What exactly happened Jowan, did you do something,  _ again _ "

"No! Not this time, you were justified, but i couldn't risk them seeing your face, you're not harrowed, they'd make you tranquil."

"Jowan you goofball, i'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

****

The friends shared one more smile, and Jowan returned to his own bed, that just happened to be right next to Amellâ€™s. He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow, exhausted from dragging the  _ 'beefcake mage babe"span> _ as he liked to call himself. Amell didn't find himself very tired, which wasn't surprising in the slightest. He watched Jowan for a while, listened to him murmur half unconscious ramblings. Hours passed and Amell was sure he could paint every inch of Jowan' face from memory, the curves of his cheeks, oddly straight nose, almost constantly smirking mouth. He loved Jowan' nose, the way it twitched when he lied, or when he slept. He knew it was not to be however. The way Jowan saw that chantry girl, lily, was exactly the way Amell saw Jowan. Sleep always illuded Amell, no matter how hard he tried he could never get himself to rest without passing out. He sat by the window as the storm raged on, he longed for the feeling of the cold rain.


End file.
